She was my secret-bank. In the trial's final days, Chavez took the stand and acknowledged having a string of mistresses, searching a website on how to kill someone with martial arts moves, and ignoring his wife's calls for help. Now her parents speak to News 13. Thats also where she was working on Oct. 8, 2007, the first time she met Levi Chavez face-to-face, according to her testimony. Levi Chavez came back the following week and did exactly that. Hindi, along with other women Levi Chavez had been involved with, testified during the trial about their affairs, Star Tribune reported. She knew every single secret about me no matter what. Chavez also had a younger brother, Aaron. 'Guilt doesn't even begin to describe it.'. Tera Chavezs mother, Theresa Cordova, said her daughter was an artist, according to a feature on Chavezs life in Alibi. We raised Andrea as a family., The young couple married in 2000 even though their relationship was already facing some problems, her brothers said. One key talking point during the investigation into Tera Chavezs death and the murder trial was how quickly Levi Chavez appeared to have moved on. [1] Jones also told her that Levi Chavez had numerous affairs while he was married to Tera, but according to Keeners characterization of Heather Chavezs previous statements, she wasnt interested. The case made national headlines in 2013 as more details came to light . While there isn't an official wife, the second of Hugo Chavez's four children, 29 year-old Maria Gabriela, plays the role of First Lady of the . During his testimony last week, Chavez frequently broke down and had to take breaks when he recounted his ill treatment of his late wife throughout their marriage. That wouldve been after she moved out of the home she shared with Steve Hindi, according to her testimony. You could pretty much put her through the wringer, and shed still love you like it never happened. Current CACU detective, and Levi's wife, Heather Chavez, was married to another officer in 2007. He is suing the detective who first launched the investigation into the 2007 death of Levi's wife, Tera Chavez. In court today, she said the calls were work related, and Keener did not press her for specifics. 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New Mexico, 2007: Tera Chavez, a police officer's wife, is found shot dead in the mouth of an apparent suicide. She liked to draw, and she liked to write poetry, she recalled. 'He took one more breath and that's it': Mother describes Ex-marine father murdered wife and 17-month-old son before Pennsylvania woman gets life for stabbing her fianc to Isabel Oakeshott receives 'menacing' message from Matt Hancock, Dozens stuck in car park as staff refuses to open gate for woman, Incredible footage of Ukrainian soldiers fighting Russians in Bakhmut, Pro-Ukrainian drone lands on Russian spy planes exposing location, 'Buster is next!' They werent told that tens of instances in which Levi Chavezs attorneys asserted his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination had been excised from the deposition. 'I'm very embarrassed about it,' Chavez said, then later added. webvtt in day 14 of the levi chavez trial, his current wife, a-p-d officer heather chavez takes the stand. Her twin brother described her as a strong woman and a loving mother. Upon announcing the verdict, the family of Levi Chavez, including his current wife Albuquerque detective Heather Chavez, let out gasps and wept. The trial revealed a crumbling marriage that was. Upon announcing the verdict, the family of Levi Chavez, including his current wife Albuquerque detective Heather Chavez, let out gasps and wept. Levi was born on October 9, 1925 in Ojo Feliz, New Mexico to Jose and Hilaria Chavez. you were talking about yourself, and you were talking about possibly marrying him bc his name was chavez, and you wanted to go to homicide. He has full custody of his two children, according to Teras parents Joseph and Theresa Cordova. Part of the Daily Mail, The Mail on Sunday & Metro Media Group, Plunged into the limelight: Camilla 'wants her five teenage grandchildren to take centre stage at Charles's coronation alongside the King's Royal heirs - performing a role previously given to Duchesses as the new Queen is anointed with holy oil', Newspaper comic strip Dilbert gets canceled after its creator is branded racist for warning white people to 'get the f**k away' from black people - before doubling down on his beliefs. According to reports, he is now the husband of APD Detective Heather. Dr. Im not guilty. Her husband Levi is suspected soon after because of suspicious circumstantial evidence, but there is no confession, eyewitness or 'smoking gun' forensic evidence. "Please tell them to hurry!" the 26-year-old can be heard saying. Her relationship with Chavez started when he was still married to Marisabel. Chavez was tried in 2013 for murder and tampering with evidence in the death of his wife Tera Chavez. Levi Chavez. In 2018, the case was dismissed due to missing information and incorrect information that was cited as reasons to dismiss the case. I didnt answer the call, Heather Chavez said. Josh Mankiewicz reports Friday, November . He has full custody of his two children, according to Tera's parents Joseph and Theresa Cordova. After Chavez left the store, Garley sent him a text message on his newly purchased phone to tell him he had nice eyes, she said from the witness stand. The call did not go to voicemail. 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. Levi Chavez testified during his trial that he had a series of mistresses but reiterated that he did not kill his wife. As soon as this grand jury indictment came out, Levi was fired from the Albuquerque Police Department, from where he had been on administrative leave for over a year. They also werent allowed to watch video of that deposition. Acquitted: Levi Chavez, center, a former Albuquerque police officer, leaves the court after his month-long trial, Grief: Theresa and Joseph Cordova, parents of Tera Chavez, leave the Sandoval County Judicial Complex, saying 'justice has not been served'. After more than 10 hours of deliberations, a jury acquitted Levi Chavez, 32, of murdering of his wife, 26-year-old Tera Chavez, in 2007 and trying to make the hairdresser's death look like a suicide. In the 6-week-long court hearing, there were testimonies from police officers, pathologists, the women Levi had affairs with, as well as Teras family. The former police officer, graduating with a law degree, serves in a non-profit company known as Heading Home and assists the organization in its fight against homelessness in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Also in court this morning, jurors heard a heavily redacted recording of the deposition Levi Chavez gave in the civil case. Levi Chavez is the Husband of Tera, and he was a police officer with the Albuquerque Police Department. The former officer, clenching a Rosary, immediately embraced his attorney, David Serna. Later on, when Tera passed away, he claimed that the only reason he hadnt left his wife was because of their two children. In the trial's final days, Chavez took the stand and acknowledged having a string of mistresses, searching a website on how to kill someone with martial arts moves, and ignoring his wife's calls for help. Levi Chavez eventually filed a federal lawsuit against Aaron Jones, who was a detective with the Valencia County Sheriffs Department at the time of Teras death and was one of the first on the scene. Jones was one of the first officers on the scene and a lead detective on the case. Levi Chavez is a former Albuquerque, NM Police Officer who was charged with the 2007 death of his 26yearold wife, Tera Chavez. She attended Teras funeral, according to her testimony, as did many other APD officers. 'There never was a case against Levi Chavez,'Serna said. Dateline: Unforgettable's upcoming episode, in a re-broadcast, will cover the story of Tera Chavez's tragic death while also narrating the heated and controversial trial of her cop husband, Levi Chavez. Levi Chavez, 32, admitted to having a string of mistresses, searching a website on how to kill someone with martial arts moves and ignoring his wife's calls for help. Not among them was APD officer Steve Hindi, to whom Heather was married at the time. Levi Chavez, 32, was accused of killing his hairdresser wife with his police-issued handgun and making it look like a suicide amid a crumbling marriage that included a love triangle at her hair . I told you guys that from the beginning. Do not sell or share my personal information. Fashionuer.com participates in many affiliate marketing programs & sponsored content which means we get paid commissions on products purchased through our links to retail websites. We are no longer accepting comments on this article. After a few years there, they moved back to Los Lunas, and Levi got a job as a police officer with the Albuquerque Police Department. Levi Chavez, a 26-year-old officer with the Albuquerque, New Mexico Police Department, at nine o'clock on the night of October 21, 2007, called 911 to report that his wife had committed suicide with his department-issued Glock 9 pistol. Trying to figure out where the medical cannabis program stands now is up for debate one side saying the program is expected to University of New Mexico Hospital launching health care listening Hospital CEO Kate Becker says 'we really want to hear from our community about what their health needs are' in order to prioritize resources. The Officer's Wife Dateline NBC True Crime Requires subscription and macOS 11.4 or higher When police officer Levi Chavez finds his wife, Tera, shot to death in their home, an investigation into her murder begins as buried secrets are revealed. THE WOMEN NEVER DID MEET. Levi also asserted that when Tera apparently killed herself, he was away, spending the weekend at one of his girlfriends apartment. Levi Chavez has full custody of his two children, according to Teras parents Joseph and Theresa Cordova, Alibi reported. After more than 10 hours of deliberations, a jury acquitted Levi Chavez, 32, of murdering of his wife, 26-year-old Tera Chavez, in 2007 and trying to make the hairdresser's death look like. After more than 10 hours of deliberations, a jury acquitted Levi Chavez . Critics, supporters offer differing opinions on program's future in New Mexico, University of New Mexico Hospital launching health care listening tour, Zinc Wine Bar & Bistro to reopen after three years. Chavez could spend the rest of his life in prison if convicted on charges that he killed Tera Chavez, 26, in the couples home near Los Lunas and tried to make it look like a suicide. John Fetterman Wife: Who Is Gisele Barreto Fetterman. Joseph Cordova, Teras father, told the outlet, The culture which we grew up in, his family was from law enforcement. The morning of October 22, 2007, he allegedly returned to the couple's home in Los Lunas, New Mexico, where he discovered the body of his wife. Email addresses are used solely for verification and to speed the verification process for repeat questioners. Chavez alleged malicious prosecution, malicious abuse of process, defamation, and outrageous conduct, court documents show. Dated Nov. 14, 2007, it was from a fellow APD officer whose name, at the time, was Heather Hindi. This type of work affords great meaning to his life, as he and his team provide emergency housing to hundreds of our communitys most vulnerable individuals each night. "Please tell them to hurry!" the 26-year-old can be heard saying in his 911 call, PEOPLE reported. For Tera Chavez, Levi was her high school sweetheart, husband, and the entire world. After Garleys testimony, Serna and Keener argued for more than 45 minutes outside the presence of the jury about which of the cellphone data examined by an FBI analyst should be shown to the jury. Following the verdict, emotional family members of Tera Chavez were quickly escorted out of Sandoval District Court, the result of an edict from state District Judge George Eichwald who sought to ease tensions between the two families. detailing just how quickly their relationship developed once tera chavez died. There is no confirmation on whether she is still a part of the Albuquerque Police Department. In his profile, it says: During the investigations into Tera Chavezs murder and during Levi Chavezs trial, one key talking point was how quickly he appeared to move on. Levi Chavez and Tera Chavez. "I'm going to go to church, pray my Rosary and thank my Virgin Mary," Chavez said as he was crowded by reporters. Some of the evidence in the civil case, like testimony from an insurance investigator about the fake theft allegations, was barred in murder trial. But, the disgraced former officer insisted that he did not kill his wife. Following the not-guilty verdict, Chavez fileda federal lawsuit against Aaron Jones, a detective with the Valencia County Sheriffs Department at the time of Teras death. Please review our privacy policy here: https://heavy.com/privacy-policy/, Copyright 2023 Heavy, Inc. All rights reserved. A few years later, the family of four moved back to New Mexico, where Levi Chavez became a police officer with the Alburquerque Police Department and Tera Chavez started going to barber college. Tera Chavez died on 22nd October 2007 at Los Lunas, New Mexico, United States, she was 26 years old during her time of death and according to the report she died from a gunshot wound from her husband's service weapon. I didnt do anything wrong.. His new wife, Heather Hindi, who was one of his fellow officers, also testified on the stand. Chavez was placed on leave at the police department where he worked and eventually, on April 7, 2011, he was arrested and charged with his wifes murder, KOAT reported. For weeks, the murder trial captivated parts of central New Mexico as residents were fixated in barber shops, diners and grocery stores. Serna on Thursday spent two and a half hours cross-examining Citizen. Aug 19, 2008 . . Josh Mankiewicz reports. Levi Chavez was working at the Albuquerque Animal Welfare Department when he was arrested in 2011, but it wasnt until two years later, in 2013, that he stood trial for the charges against him. Levi started working for Heading Home in 2015. Levi Chavez. He had come to the CACU office to schedule a time to shadow Heather, according to her testimony, meaning she would show him the ropes of detective work in the unit. Tera Chavez had been looking for a business space to rent for her salon and had an appointment to meet a landlord just two days after the day she died, Alibi wrote. But, in the end, after two days of deliberation, because of a lack of physical evidence linking him to Teras death, or something that even concretely proved that it was a homicide, Levi, who was facing life in prison, was acquitted of all charges. After more than 10 hours of deliberations, a jury acquitted Levi Chavez, 32, of murdering of his wife, 26-year-old Tera Chavez, in 2007 and trying to make the hairdresser's death look like. The tawdry details spilled in the trial and the questions it raised about the practices of the Albuquerque Police Department have further tarnished the agency, which is under investigation by the U.S. Justice Department over a series of police shootings.